According to research, victims of sexual violence in Hong Kong wait 1,537 days to seek help

Survivors of sexual violence in Hong Kong wait an average of four years and two months to seek help, while the proportion of victims willing to report their cases to police has fallen over the past 15 years, according to research by an NGO.

The study drew its data from 1,984 cases of sexual violence handled by RainLily between 2019 and 2023, and compared them to cases dating back to 2009.

The NGO, which released the report on Tuesday, said the number of cases it handled had increased over a 15-year period. It was also stated that there has been a sharp increase in sexual violence cases that do not involve physical contact in the last decade.

Acts in the second category included revenge porn and nonconsensual public disclosure of intimate images, as well as verbal abuse and other forms of sexual violence that did not involve direct physical contact.

“Sexual violence remains serious and shows new trends and changes. RainLily calls on the community to provide resources and measures to support survivors of sexual violence,” said NGO chief executive Doris Chong Tsz-wai.

The group’s report also showed that victims of sexual violence reported their incidents an average of 1,536.8 days after the attacks occurred.